Replacement Rangers
by Nemorian
Summary: After the losses at the Statesman Hotel, Reilly wonders if they can manage with just three people. Though the Wanderer sends her reinforcements, whether or not they'll actually be any help is very much in question.
1. Losses

Reilly sat at her terminal, reading over the report compiled from the information her remaining team and the Wanderer had given her for the tenth time in a week. They still hadn't gone back out into the field after that long. It would be hard to, given they were down to three members. She skimmed over the part of the report that mentioned Theo's death, having seen it with her own eyes. He had only joined a month before the mission on a probationary trial, though he was proving to be a very helpful part of the team. She was actually planning to take him off probationary status if he did well on that mission, but...

Her eyes came to rest on part of the report that entailed the group's escape from the Statesman Hotel, written up by Donovan.

_...and wouldn't you know it, once we got down there more of the mutie bastards were waiting for us. We opened fire on each other about the same time, and that psycho wanderer you sent to help whipped out a missile launcher of all things. I dunno where the lunatic was keeping it, but once they fired off a couple missiles and I thought the place was going to come down around our ear, I lost track of what was going on. I couldn't see or hear shit over the falling dust, mutant yells and Eugene's roaring gunfire. When everything settled, I saw the wanderer staring at something on the ground. I may not have been able to see their expression under the helmet, but you don't suddenly empty a whole clip into a dead mutant for the hell of it. I went over to see..._

Reilly's attention drifted away from the monitor, she didn't want to read it again. Losing Theo was bad enough since he was new, but losing her second in command as well was more than she could stand. The Wanderer gave her a pep-talk once they got back and as much as it might have helped at first, the effect was wearing off. They had also said they'd send someone to help, to make up for failing to protect all her Rangers during the escape, in spite of all Reilly's objections to it.

_"I screwed up, and Butcher died because of it. The least I can do is make sure you have someone to help you out around the base. I know someone, they're not exactly a medic, but they're trustworthy if a little frustrating at times." The Wanderer had insisted from beneath their Brotherhood of Steel helmet. Because of that, Reilly still wasn't positive if the Wanderer was a man or a woman. "Once I get out of D.C. I'll send them your way. Don't worry about a thing."_

Of course, it was a week later and still nobody had arrived. She was more than a little skeptical anyone would. The Wanderer had been nice enough, but reliable people were few and far between in the wastes, and whoever the Wanderer thought could help had no obligations to the Rangers. Thinking they'd come all the way out here in the first place was just crazy.

She let out a sigh and reached over to flick on the radio, a familiar song filling the room. "_...a story 'bout a guy named Butcher Pete-" _She quickly flipped it off, in two very different ways. It seemed like ever time she'd bothered to turn on the radio the past week it was that song. Three Dog really needed to find something different to play. She sighed again. "Butcher..."

The clank of hurried boots on steel caught her attention, and she faced the doorway as Brick appeared in it. "Hey, Reilly. Donovan says we got some people snoopin' around outside. Want me to go blast 'em?"

"People?" Reilly wondered aloud, getting up. "Could they be...?"

---

"My God, how do you stand it? I mean... you must have the patience of a saint." The man in the rather charming mercenary outfit said, leaning against the wall. He glanced at the person in Brotherhood armor standing by the terminal, not moving an inch and not saying a word, as usual. Hell, he didn't even know the person's name.

"Come on, Steel. Say something already." The charmer said, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "At least give me a sign you haven't died under that helmet."

"Shut up." Steel grumbled, barely audible to anyone more than a foot away. "My name is not Steel, and you're one order away having your face blown off."

The charmer glared at Steel. "You're an ass, you know that?"

Apart from a small grunt that might have been the trace of a chuckle, he got no reply.

"Any luck?" The charmer called out.

"No, not a damn thing up here!" Someone replied. "I'm gonna keep looking, there has to be a way in!"

"It's called a door, you moron, and it's right here. Even if they did have a back door it'd be locked too." The charmer muttered.

A clunk and some clinking came from the door just before it opened. A woman in Ranger armor stepped outside, assault rifle in hand but resting at her side. She looked from the charmer to Steel, taking a close look at the latter. "Wanderer?" She asked.

Steel shook his head, but said nothing.

"Ah, the famous Wanderer I hear so much about comes up again. And here I thought everything I was being told on this little venture was a steaming pile of brahmin shit. Looks like I owe someone a beer." He said with a quick look at Steel. "You're Reilly then, I take it?"

She gave him a nod. "Of course. And you are?"

"Janus, mercenary and jack of all trades. I heard you might be hiring so I tagged along." He said with a shrug. "Cheerful guy or girl, I'm not sure which, over there is best referred to as Steel." Steel shot him a glare that was obvious even with a hidden face, and Janus just smirked back at him.

Steel turned back to Reilly, shaking his head. "I'm Charon." He said simply.

"So the Wanderer sent you to help?" Reilly inquired.

"You should be so lucky." Janus murmured.

Reilly gave him a questioning look, but wasn't given the chance to say anything before someone's voice came from above them.

"Damn it, I don't see anyway in! That jerk did tell them we were coming, right?!"

Janus let out a small groan. "The door is open, you _dumbass_." He yelled, putting ample emphasis on the last word.

"What?! Why the hell didn't you say somethin' earlier then?!"

"For the quiet." Janus mumbled, before calling back. "Just get your ass down here!"

Angry muttering and shuffling feet came from above them, and someone leapt down from the second floor, stumbling as he landed. He swore, wiping some of the dirt off his leather armor. "This crap is way too heavy." He complained, looking at Janus before turning around to face Reilly.

She stared at him, looking him up and down. Awkward balance, young face, a simple pistol at his waist... it was obvious he was a rookie to anyone. The fact that he made it this far complimented Janus and Charon's abilities more than anything, since they had kept him alive this long. "You're the one... the Wanderer sent?" She asked, unable to keep the skepticism from her voice.

If he noticed the implication in her tone, he was good at faking he didn't. Though something told Reilly he just completely missed it. "That's me." He said with a smile. "Butch DeLoria, reporting for duty!"


	2. Gains

Reilly stared at the trio from across the table. Janus was looking around the room, taking in details. Charon was sitting in silence and staring straight ahead, or so she assumed, since he still hadn't removed his helmet. Butch, on the other hand, was leaning against the table and looking very... eager, for lack of a better word.

"So? We in?" He asked, for what must have been the tenth time. Granted it was the first after arriving at the table.

Reilly glanced to her left and right at Donovan and Brick. They offered her concerned and skeptical looks, respectively. "I think we should know why you want to join the Rangers, first. Maybe telling us about your trip through D.C. as well."

"Why? That's easy. I was head of the best gang back in the Vault. Earned me a lotta respect in there, I figure joining up with one of the better-known gangs out here'd be a good way to get more of the same from wastelanders."

"We are not a gang." Donovan said firmly. "We're a mercenary group, there's a difference. If you just want to cause even more chaos in the wasteland, try joining those Talon dirtbags."

"Those guys are too... extreme for me. I tried the Brotherhood of Steel first, but they wouldn't take me. And those Enclave bastards that've shown up killed my friend's Dad, so I don't want anything to do with them."

"So we're your fourth choice?" Brick snorted.

"Fifth. I also heard about this gang called The Family and went to see if I could join them, but..." Butch trailed off, his face going a little pale. "...those guys were as crazy as Talon. Maybe crazier."

Reilly exchanged a questioning look with her allies before turning to Janus. "And you?"

"I'm just bored of going freelance. Figure it'd be nice to have someone to watch my ass when I need it too." He replied casually, not even taking the time to look at her.

Reilly gave him an annoyed look, which he didn't notice since he was focused on the ceiling, and turned to Charon. "How about you?"

Charon didn't speak... he didn't even move.

Brick leaned forward, squinting at the helmet's visor as if it would help her see through the shaded glass. "You awake in there?"

Charon's head turned to the right as he lifted the combat shotgun on his lap and took aim at Butch's head. "Orders." He said simply.

The word caught Butch's attention shortly before the shotgun barrel pointed at him did. "Oh shit!" Butch shouted falling to the side and landing on Janus' lap just before the shotgun discharged, blasting a hole in the ceiling.

Reilly was on her feet, aiming her assault rifle at Charon before the debris from the ceiling had hit the table. Donovan was a little slower, but got his laser pistol trained on Charon without even getting up. Brick was up the fastest, but slowest to get a weapon ready, since she hadn't brought her minigun with her and was forced to find something nearby to use as a weapon, namely a sledgehammer.

"What the hell was that about?!" Reilly demanded.

"Fuck, Charon! I forgot, you psycho! Didn't Telon say to give me a warning first?!" Butch yelled, getting pushed back up by Janus.

"That was your warning. I wouldn't have waited until you'd moved if it wasn't." Charon said simply, placing his shotgun across his lap again and facing forward.

"Damn lunatic." Butch muttered, digging through his pockets. He removed a crumpled piece of paper and offered it to Reilly.

She studied him and Charon for a moment, wondering if anything else was going to happen. Janus was apparently unfazed by the whole event, not having moved an inch apart from the shove he gave Butch. She lowered her rifle and took the paper from Butch. "What is this?"

He shrugged. "A note from Telon."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Telon?"

"Telon Winderer. The Lone Wanderer as spoken by the person in question when in a drunken stupor, from what I gathered during the trip." Janus offered. "The actual story's longer, but I'm sure you don't want to hear it. I don't. For a fifth time." He shot a glare at Butch before returning his gaze to the ceiling.

Reilly flipped open the paper and a second fell out onto the table. The first was written neatly, and had Reilly's name in the top left corner.

_Reilly,_

_ I know you probably weren't expecting me to come through on my promise, considering most people in the wasteland, I wouldn't either. Maybe it's the influence of my Dad, or of life in the vault, but I keep my promises. The paper within this one, if that idiot Butch didn't take it, is Charon's contract. He'll do whatever you say as long as you have it. I gave him orders to give Butch a warning shot if the idiot didn't hand over the note within ten minutes of meeting you, so if he did I'm sorry for any panic he might have caused. I also hope Brick didn't gun him down out of reflex. If she didn't, Charon will be an asset, I'm sure. _

_ Butch, however, is a just an ass. I would have delivered Charon myself, but something came up that I had to tend to and Butch, though an aforementioned ass, can be reliable with the right motivation. I figured he can cover what Theo did, it should be a breeze for him. I'll stop by to check up on you guys when my little mission is over, it shouldn't take long. Vaults aren't much trouble. The only major exception so far was one that was deathly tranquil. I doubt I'll run into problems like that again though._

_See you all in a couple weeks!_

_-TLW_

Reilly blinked, then glanced at the contract that had fallen out. It was written in a scrawl and barely legible, but she could make out Charon's name in a couple places. "Well, looks like you two have Telon's okay, so I guess I can try letting you be probationary members and seeing how you do." She said, then looked at Janus. "That just leaves you."

"I don't get in, do I?" He asked, finally turning his gaze to her from the ceiling.

"I don't make a habit of hiring random idiots off the D.C. streets." Reilly stated.

"That right?" He smirked, glancing at Butch. "Yet the rookie gets in because he's connected to some well-known wanderer that can't handle a little alcohol?"

Reilly scowled at him, but Brick laughed.

"He's got ya there, Reilly." Brick said, giving her a nudge.

"And he does look more capable than the kid." Donovan whispered.

Reilly sighed. "All right, fine. All three of you are now probationary members of Reilly's Rangers."

"Yeah!" Butch exclaimed, rising from his chair and grinning. "Now that I'm in, this'll be the most badass gang in the wastes, no contest!"

"We are _not_ a gang you thick-headed..." Reilly began, but Butch waved his hand and cut her off.

"Right, right. Mercenary group, gang, all little details. I'm in, that's what counts. I get one of the member outfits, right?"

Reilly gritted her teeth, resisting the urge to try and make the idiot understand anything. "Brick, show these three to the storage room and see if we have uniforms that fit them. Donovan, once they're suited up give them basic skill assessments I know what their strengths are." She glanced at Butch. _If they even have any._

"You got it, boss." Brick said, walking out of the room and gesturing for the others to follow.

They all got up and filed out, Donovan hanging behind and waiting until the others were out of sight. He looked back at Reilly and raised an eyebrow at her. "You sure about these guys, Reilly?"

"Not at all, but we need the help." She replied, fixing a glare on the tabletop.

"Beggars can't be choosers, huh?"

"As much as I hate that expression, yes." She looked up at Donovan. "What's your take on them?"

He shrugged. "Butch is an inexperienced moron with an ego the size of a behemoth. Janus is an arrogant ass I wouldn't trust with a box of snack cakes, let alone my life. Charon is obviously hiding something, I don't trust a man that leaves his helmet on and takes pot shots at other people during an interview."

"Agreed." She said, tapping her fingers on the table. "I hope we can get some use out of them though."

"You know that Butch is going to get shot within five minutes of his first mission, right?"

"Yeah, and if he keeps that attitude up, I'll be the one that shoots him."

Donovan laughed, heading out of the room. "I don't doubt it."

Reilly watched him go, then leaned on the table and sighed. "What the hell have I gotten myself into?"


	3. Tests

"Yo, Reilly. Little problem." Brick said, peering into the room.

Reilly sighed, having been expecting it. She knew something had to go wrong with accepting the motley trio on her doorstep, she just didn't expect it to happen so soon. It had only been five minutes since the others had left to get suited up.

"What is it?" She asked, glancing up from her computer where she had been entering data on her new recruits.

"The pretty boy and punk are suited up, but the mystery man won't take his damn power armor off." Brick explained. "You want me to beat it off him, or deal with it yourself?"

"As tempting as the offer is, I'll handle it." Reilly said, getting up and walking over to the door. "Where is he?"

"Storage room."

She nodded, wondering why Charon was hell-bent on keeping his armor as she walked. Sure, it was probably more durable than the Ranger gear, but it couldn't be as easy to move in. Voices coming out of the living area caught her attention.

"You gotta be kiddin'! This damn test is as bad as the GOAT!" A whiny voice proclaimed. Easy to guess it was Butch. "Come on, Donny, let me give it another shot!"

"If you took more than two seconds on each question, maybe you wouldn't have gotten the lowest possible score." Someone said in a condescending tone. Janus without a doubt.

"Oh yeah, what'd _you_ get?!" Butch snapped.

"Silent Assassin." Janus said with a laugh. "There's no mistake there, eh, Cannonfodder?"

"Yours sure got the ass part right, you ass! And don't call me that!"

Donovan interrupted them. "Come on, you two. It's just a test based on personality, not skill. Those come later."

"What?! You mean there's more of this shit?!" Butch yelled. "Tests, tight spaces, an ass hanging around, it's like being back in the vault! I might as well just start calling you Brotch!"

"Sure is lively in there." Brick laughed, walking past Reilly and into the living area. "Hey Cannonfodder, I can hear you all the way down the hall, keep it down."

"Don't you start calling me that too!"

Reilly shook her head, walking down the hall to the storage room and once again wondering what she had gotten herself into. She went inside and closed the door behind her, blocking the raised voices that were coming from the others. Well, mostly from Butch. Charon was standing in the corner, still as a statue.

"What's the problem with the Ranger armor?" She asked, getting right to the point.

"Nothing. My former employer just wanted me to get you alone and give you this before I changed." He offered her a piece of paper.

She stared at him a moment before taking it and flipping it open.

_Hey Reilly, I know this is short notice, but there's something about Charon I didn't mention in the last note because I didn't want it to be brought up around Brick and Donovan. I don't know the feelings of everyone, but Brick is trigger-happy and while Donovan has a level head he can be a little quick on the trigger when surprised, he proved that at the Statesman Hotel. Just know that I trusted Charon with my life and he never let me down. Appearances are NOT something you should get hung up on, alright? Remember that._

_-TLW_

Reilly blinked at the note, then looked up at Charon to ask him what it was about but took a quick step back in surprise. Charon's helmet was off, revealing the decayed and peeling skin underneath. "You're... a ghoul?"

"It's not a mask, if that's what you're asking." Charon replied, his voice coming out in a rasp since it wasn't being filtered through the helmet.

Reilly rubbed her forehead. _An inexperienced punk and a ghoul... Telon sure can pick them._ She thought, starting to get a headache. "Alright, you just change into the Ranger uniform. I'll tell Brick and Donovan about your... condition."

"Very well." Charon said, beginning to undo the locks on his power armor.

Reilly hurried out of the room, catching the others just as they were leaving the living area.

"Good timing, Reilly. We were just about to start the shooting tests, care to join us?" Donovan asked.

"Sure, but there's something you guys should know about Charon first."

Brick's expression turned serious. "What'd he do?"

"Nothing, it's just what he... well..." She mulled it over, wondering the best way to put it.

"You mean the whole ghoul thing?" Butch offered. Everyone looked at him. "What?"

"You _knew_ he was a ghoul and didn't say anything?" Reilly asked.

Butch shrugged. "You guys lived out here your whole lives, I figured you'd be used to ghouls. Sure, I freaked when I first saw him, but I was pretty fresh out of the vault at the time. Plus after that Telon gave me hell, always preaching on about looking past appearances. Got damn annoying... and honestly, he still scares the hell outta me sometimes. Not because of his looks though, the guy's vicious in a fight."

"Right..." Reilly looked around at the group. "...the rest of you have any problems working with a ghoul?"

Donovan shook his head. "Doesn't matter to me. I've met a couple that weren't feral before, and they seemed as decent as anyone else in the wasteland."

Brick grunted, looking rather annoyed. Clearly she wasn't keen on the idea. "Fine, I'll deal with it."

From behind them, Janus laughed. "A ghoul, huh?"

Reilly glared at him. "Got a problem?"

"No, no... it just explains why he doesn't seem to like me. On the way here I said he had the personality of a corpse a few times, amongst other things. I bet he took 'em personally, even though I didn't know he was one of them at the time." He grinned, leaning over. "Ain't that right, Charon?"

The group looked behind Reilly. Charon was behind her, glaring at Janus and adjusting the sleeves of his armor. "Go to hell."

"Snippy, aren't we?"

"Charon, we're off to do some firearm assessments." Donovan explained. "You can do the written part later."

"Yeah, maybe blowin' a hole though something will cheer ya up." Butch suggested, gesturing for him to follow as he made his way to the exit with Brick.

"Not unless it's that bastard." Reilly heard Charon mumble as he passed.

Watching them go, she sighed again. _I know people have quirks, but how the hell is a team supposed to function when one half wants to kill the other? Thanks a ton, Telon..._


	4. Trust

"You really do suck, Cannonfodder." Brick commented, looking at the eight of ten tin cans that were still standing.

Butch glared at her, reloading his 10mm and jamming it back into his holster. "Stop calling me that, damn it!"

"No match for Charon, that's for sure." Donovan said, looking at the ghoul. "I've never seen anyone that accurate with a shotgun."

"Practice." Charon muttered, watching Butch start an argument with Brick about his nickname.

Reilly shook her head, wondering how she was going to get any use out of Butch and some better communication from Charon. Then there was the other idiot... who she just noticed was absent. "Hey, where'd Janus go?"

A distant gunshot answered her, and one of the cans Butch missed went flying. Seven more followed, each one hitting the remaining cans. A few moments after the gunfire ended, Janus walked into the training ground with a sniper rifle on his shoulder.

"Do I pass?" He asked, looking at Reilly with a cocky smirk on his face.

She scowled at him. "Sadly, yes. We could use a sharpshooter."

"Dandy. So, we going for field exercise yet?"

"Eager to have a Super Mutant rip your head off, are you?"

"Something like that, Boss." He smirked.

"Too bad, teamwork on the field doesn't happen just like that under normal circumstances. We have to try and get some trust built up first." Reilly explained, glancing over her shoulder at the others. "Though I'm not sure how well that's going to work with you three."

"No kiddin'." Janus shrugged. "Butch still has his head so far up his ass he can't see that he'd be ripped to shreds if he went one on one with a super mutant and the ghoulie's more keen on putting a bullet in my back than watchin' it."

"I know exactly how Charon feels." She muttered, glaring at him. "If you're going to be part of the Rangers, you'd better learn how to show some damn respect, and if you can't manage to go without insulting Charon simply because he's a ghoul, you can get the fuck out of my sight right now."

Janus arched an eyebrow at her. "Well, I never would have pegged you as a ghoul-lover."

"The only reason I'm still alive is because of the ghouls in Underworld, it's hard to have a bad opinion of someone after that."

"Fair enough." He said with a shrug. "What's the plan then?"

"Since there are three of you and us, I figured we could pair off and try to get along for the rest of the day."

A sly grin crossed his face. "Pair off? I like the sound of that."

Reilly glared at him, raising her assault rifle. "Keep in mind that we don't need a sniper _that_ badly."

"It's a joke, boss. You should really try to lighten up a bit." Janus said, walking around her and heading toward the others. "I'll spend some time with Brick then, she seems like fun."

Reilly wated him go and shook her head. It suited her just fine, Brick would have to trouble keeping the jerk in line. Glancing around for Donovan, she noticed him along the edge of the training area, attempting to have a conversation with Charon. Which meant...

A voice came from her side. "Hey, looks like it's you and me!"

_Oh damn it..._ Reilly thought with a grimace, before turning to Butch. ..._I think I might have been better off with Janus._

xxx

Staring at Reilly's back as she typed something into her terminal, Butch sighed, feet hanging over the side of the table he was laying on. "We gonna do this trust buildin' thing or what?"

"We are." She replied, the steady clicking never slowing.

"All you told me to do was sit here and shut up, how's that building trust?" He wondered.

"You're behind me, and I'm trusting you not to try and put a bullet in my back. Although after the display outside, I doubt you'd even hit if you did try. The shut up part was to see how well you listened to orders and to save myself a headache." She explained, glancing over her shoulder. "You're failing that part, by the way."

He frowned. "Sounds like a stupid way to do it if you ask me."

"I didn't, but I suppose it might be good for a laugh. What do you suggest we do?" Reilly inquired.

Butch slid himself off the table and crossed his arms. "Well... how about... uh..."

Rolling her eyes, she turned back to the monitor and shook her head. "Let me know when you come up with something."

Thinking about it and staring at her for a couple minutes, he smirked. "I'll be right back, alright?" He said, heading out the door before hearing a reply

.Jogging down the hallway until he arrived at the storage room, Butch ducked inside and went straight to the lockers without even noticing the other two people in the room.

"Is everything okay?" Donovan asked from the corner workbench that was holding a partly assembled bottlecap mine. Charon was leaning against the wall next to him, having been watching the work with little interest.

"Fine, Donny. Just gotta grab a couple things." Butch said, pulling his Tunnel Snakes jacket out of the locker and making sure what he wanted was still in the inside pocket. Stowing it in his armor pocket and putting his jacket back in the locker, he grabbed something off the center shelves as he headed over to where Donovan kept various tools and parts.

"Does Reilly know you're in here?"

"Does she know _you're_ in here?"

"I _work_ in here!"

"Then I won't keep ya." He pulled a paint gun out of the ordered chaos Donovan called his parts collection and made for the exit. "Thanks for the help, Donny."

"Wait a second, what do you need all that for?" Donovan wondered.

Butch gave him a grin. "Building trust with Reilly the best way I can think of."

"I don't like the sound of that..." Donovan muttered as the rookie dashed out of the room. He glanced at Charon and smirked. "...bet you ten caps she ends up shooting him."

The ghoul thought about it for a moment. "No bet."


	5. Hired

"Okay, I know I said we weren't going to take on any missions until we had gotten some trust built up, but I was contacted about a job that should be straightforward enough for our rookies and much more than worth the risk considering how much we've been offered to do it." Reilly explained to her companions gathered around the table. Brick, Donovan and Janus were staring at her oddly, as they had been since arriving. She even noticed Charon's stoic expression change a little when he first walked in, though he quickly recovered it. Butch was sitting at the far end of the table, grinning openly at the others faces and gave her a thumbs up when he caught her looking his way.

Giving an irritated sigh, she crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. "Alright, it's clear nobody's going to think about the mission until they make their comments, so get it over with."

"It's... certainly a change." Donovan mumbled.

Brick shook her head. "Not really a merc look, in my opinion."

"I think it suits her." Janus said, smirking. "Why, who'd have thought you could even pull off such an unusual style?"

Reilly glared at Janus but held her tounge, waiting for whatever Charon's remark would be. One never came, so after a few seconds she decided the ghoul was wisely deciding to keep his mouth shut. She turned her attention to the idiot barber across from her. "DeLoria, once this job is over, you are _fixing_ my hair."

The grin on his face dropped. "Aw, come on! You should be honored I was willing to set you up with the unrivaled style of the Tunnel Snake!"

"I believe it. Nothing could rival _that_ look." Janus said with a chuckle.

"See, even he agrees!"

"I should have done this sooner..." Reilly grumbled to herself, getting up and walking over to a locker in the corner of the room where she kept her peronal equipment. Digging out a combat helmet she placed it firmly on her head, crushing the offending hairstyle in spite of Butch's outcry. Returning to the table and enjoying the horrorstuck look Butch was giving her for a moment, she returned to original topic.

"Now then, the mission. It's simple enough, we just have to recover a piece of stolen technology. He knows where the thieves are holed up, and there're only a few of them, so it shouldn't be too much trouble." She explained.

"Who exactly are we working for?" Brick wondered.

"And what kind of technology?" Donovan added.

"I'm not sure what the thing does, the guy went on about data and genes and such... I understood enough to know it's not a weapon or explosive, but that's about it. Supposedly it looks like one of those slotted metal boxes they used before the war. Called a toaster if I remember right, though it upset him when I made the comparison. As for the hire himself, he's some sort of scientist. A twitchy little man called Lesko."

"Lesko?" Janus wondered, going from mildly uninterested to serious in the space of a heartbeat. "Are you sure that's what he said?"

Reilly raised an eyebrow at his sudden change. "Yeah. Do you know him?"

"Not personally, but I've heard of him. Supposed to be some kind of... genius." Leaning back, Janus turned his attention to the tabletop. "Whatever he's sending us after must be pretty important."

"If you're thinking of stealing it once we find it, I'll shoot you myself."

"Believe me, boss." He said in a tone she'd never heard from him before. "Theft never crossed my mind."

xxx

The Rangers peered at the building cautiously from behind a pile of rubble just across the street. It stood eight stories tall, and probably had been twice that before what must have been the upper part fell off and brought down the two next to it. The windows were boarded up but there were enough fist-sized holes in the walls here and there it was a safe bet the interior wasn't too dark. Which meant trying to be sneaky would be next to impossible without stealth boys.

"You sure this is the place?" Butch wondered. "Looks deserted to me. Not even a guard out front."

"Spoken like a true rookie." Janus muttered.

"You mean like true cannonfodder." Brick corrected him with a smirk.

Butch scowled at her. "You're never gonna let that go, are ya?"

She shrugged. "Once you're not useless, maybe."

"You've never even seen what I can do!"

"Are you forgetting your little display on the firing range?"

"That doesn't count! Those tin cans were tiny compared to super mutants or people!"

"They also didn't shoot back, and if they could they'd probably be more accurate than you."

Giving an irritated sigh and wishing the pair of them didn't remind her of unruly children, Reilly cut in before Butch could continue the arguement. "That's enough you two. Janus, I want you find a good vantage point that covers the front of the building."

"Make sure nobody comes in after you or tries to escape with the thing, right?" He asked.

Relieved at least one of the newcomers had some sense, she nodded and he made for the nearest alley. Charon, Brick, you two take point. Donovan and I will cover the rear."

"What about me?" Butch asked, sounding far too enthusiastic.

"Stay in the middle, hang onto the extra supplies and try not to get shot."

"Or shoot us." Brick chimed in.

"Right, or that."

Butch shifted the pack he was carrying. "Man, what a load of..." He grumbled the next few curses under his breath and Reilly took it as acceptance.

"Good, let's go."

They fell into formation easier than she expected. Charon must have known what he was doing from experience, and Butch surprised her by staying almost the perfect distance behind the pointmen with his pistol unholstered but aimed at the ground so he wouldn't accidentally shoot either of them in the back. Of course, once the shooting started, there was no way to know what he'd end up doing. That's what worried her most.

Advancing into the first room of the building, it appeared to be an old lobby. The building must have been a hotel before the war. That thought gave her a very uneasy feeling, but she tried to brush it aside. A pair of hallways on either side of the lobby appeared deserted, and Reilly signaled for them to head to the door at the far side of the room, where they'd most likely find a way upstairs. Thieves usually kept valuable goods in the deepest part of their hideout, after all... that meant the top floor in this case. They'd just made it to the other side of the room when a sudden explosion shook the building. The entire group spun around just in time to see the ceiling above the exit crumble, debris and furniture from the second floor crashing down and blocking the only way out.

Reilly barely heard the whirring of Brick's minigun start before she noticed the men emerging from the once supposedly-empty halls, gunfire blazing all around them as the room descended into chaos.


	6. Hotels

Reilly ducked into an open doorway, panting and bleeding from countless scrapes she recieved on her frantic sprint up the hotel. Not hearing any sign of pursuit, she walked quickly across the room, which looked to have been three or even four separate bedrooms before the walls between them collapsed.

_My God, it's the Statesman all over again... no, it's worse._ She thought, trying to stop herself from trembling. _Everyone is... damn it, they can't all be dead._

Closing her eyes and taking a couple deep breaths, she went over events in her head. Once the shooting on the ground floor had started, she yelled for them to make for the stairs... just like before. So much for learning from your mistakes. Once they got up the second flight, they were faced with a long hallway, a rocket-launcher wielding bastard at the other end.

They opened fire, taking him out only a second after he'd launched a missle at them. Brick and Charon made for a door on the right side of the hall, Reilly taking one on the left. She looked back and noticed Donovan and Butch had been hanging back to cover them, and were still by the staircase with no cover of their own in sight. The room Reilly had dashed into was occupied by a couple more of the thieves, which kept her attention away from seeing just what happened when the rocket exploded.

Once she had dealt with the two she dropped in on, she tried to go back to find Brick and Charon at the least, but more thieves seemed to simply crawl out of the woodwork, firing wildly and forcing her to retreat further into the hotel, away from her comrades. Now that she didn't have anywhere else to run, they had vanished. These bastards weren't as stupid as most in the wastes... they were organized. It was safe to bet they were gathering just outside, waiting until they could kill her without much trouble.

_They don't know who they're fucking with._ Reilly thought bitterly, kicking an old dresser over and blocking the door she had come through. Quickly doing the same with the two down from it and leaving the final one open for them to funnel through, she peered out into the hall, hearing voices and footsteps getting closer. Once one came into view she ducked back inside, considering her options. Her eyes drifted to the boarded up window on the wall to her left and peeked outside through a crack in the wood, hoping she'd have at least a little luck today. She found what she was looking for and took a grenade off her belt, setting it on the windowsill before turning back to the door.

The voices were close now, and noticably irritated. It sounded like they had already tried the first two doors she had blocked off and were heading for the third. Taking a deep breath, she leaned out into the hallway, opening fire before any that noticed her could shout a warning. Three went down from lack of cover before she moved back in to reload, but there were still at least half a dozen out there. Sliding her last clip into her assault rifle, she hung it over her shoulder and took up her 10mm pistol instead, firing a few shots from it blindly down the hallway.

Reloading it as they returned fire, she waited until the shooting stopped and listened for any sign of movement outside. Voices echoed down the hall and a grin crept across her face as they spoke.

"Quit being such a wimp!" One of them snapped. "The bitch is down to a pistol, we can waste her easy. I say we just push forward hard and take her out now!"

"Don't be stupid! If we hold off she'll run out of ammo and then we don't have to worry about losing anyone else!" Another said.

The first voice spoke up again. "The boss put me in charge, so shut up and do what I tell you to!"

"I'm not gonna get my head blown off by following your suicidal orders!"

A shotgun discharged down the hall and a heavy thud shortly followed. "There, you got your head blown off by _not_ following my orders. Happy now, you cowardly little fucker? The rest of you, go kill that Ranger bitch! Now!"

A hurried clamor of boots started in her direction and Reilly hurried to the window, pulling the pin on the grenade she had left there before dashing away to find some cover. She dove behind an old desk as the heavy footsteps entered the room and someone shouted, their voice promptly cut off as the explosive detonated, blasting apart the boarded up window and anyone that was unlucky enough to have come through the doorway by it.

Pistol in hand, Reilly peered out from behind the desk. Two of the men were dead, judging by the pieces left strewn across the floor, and a third was staggering nearby. Snapping off a quick pair of bullets and dropping that one as well, she ducked back as a fourth charged in, firing wildly. Getting another grenade ready, she made a brief count and lobbed it over the desk, hoping to hit her mark. Someone screamed, the grenade shook the floor as it exploded and the room got a little brighter as a second gaping hole was added to the wall.

Making sure the grenade had killed the last one, she aimed her pistol at the doorway and emptied her clip into the next target in line for her little shooting gallery as he stepped inside. Two more followed, trampling the fresh corpse as if it was nothing more than any other pile of rubble. Gritting her teeth and wondering how many of the bastards were holed up in this building, Reilly loaded the last few rounds she had into her pistol and frowned.

One clip left for both her assault rifle and sidearm, as well as a solitary grenade, against however many were left gunning for her. Stealing a glance over the desktop before ducking the hail of bullets that took away part of the wood, she counted three left. One in the doorway, another right by it using part of the collaped wall for cover, and the last on the wall opposite them, half-hidden by an old dresser. Moving to the side of the desk where she'd only be in range of the former two, she took a deep breath and leaned out.

The pair of them opened fire straight away, obviously having never heard of aiming as most of the shots didn't come anywhere near her, striking the floor and desk. Reilly's gunshots joined theirs a second later, after she had lined up her target. Screaming as the bullets tore through his leg and kneecap, the man in the doorway fell all the way inside the room, landing on the one crouched by him. They both hit the ground and Reilly dropped her pistol, taking her last grenade and tossing it at them before they could get themselves upright. Since they were so caught up in getting separated from each other, it landed right next to them without either noticing.

Grabbing her pistol and moving to the other side of the desk as the explosive announced the painful, bloody end of the other two thieves, Reilly peeked around at the last one. He looked terrified, his attention focused on whatever mess the other two had become and cursing rapidly under his breath.

An idea crossing her mind, Reilly grabbed one of her empty clips and pitched it at the wall by him. He swore as it hit, shouting about another grenade and rushing right into the open. She blew a hole through his skull before he even knew she was taking aim.

Turning her focus to the doorway, she waited and listened. She heard the faint beeping of a frag mine just before the farthest door from the one she had left open was blown into splinters. Whipping around and firing off a couple rounds into the smoke and dust it had kicked up, she didn't hear the running footsteps behind her until it was too late.

Just as she started to turn, the butt of a shotgun slammed into the side of her face. Reilly's pistol flew from her hand as she spun and stumbled from the blow, a second drove into her back and she collapsed onto the desk. The warm metal of the shotgun's barrel pressed against the back of her head.

"You're one hell of a pain in the ass, you know that?" The man said with a harsh laugh. She recognized the voice from earlier, this was the one that was in charge. Who shot one of his subordinates without so much as a warning. "Works for me, though. Once I present your pretty little head to the boss, he'll forget all about a few casualties."

"Boss, huh? Who do you work for?" Reilly wondered, turning her head enough to get a look at him. Not that it helped her get an answer, he wasn't wearing a uniform and didn't have anything else that could have passed as an organization's insignia. He just looked like any other wasteland asshole.

He cocked his shotgun. "That don't matter to a corpse now, does it?"

"If you were going to shoot me, you would have done it earlier instead of trying to bash my face in."

A grin crept across his face. "Like I said, I have to present your head to the boss. I didn't want to risk damaging it too much."

_Oh fuck._ Reilly thought as he lowered his aim to her back. There was no time to try and move or knock the gun away, and not even her armor could stand up to a point blank shotgun blast. _Donovan, Brick, where the hell are you when I need you? _Everything seemed to slow down, she could see the muscles in his arm tense as he prepared to pull the trigger. _None of them... Charon, Janus, not even DeLoria... damn it! _Forcing her eyes closed and holding her breath, she waited to feel the pellets tearing through her spine, one last thought screaming in her head before she heard the gunshot. _I fucking hate hotels!_


End file.
